Latch structure



Dec. 5, 1933. H. E. WOERNLE LATCH STRUCTURE Filed Deb. e, 1929 La 23 ZJ4 INV TOR Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,931,930 LA'rcnSTRUCTURE Harry E. Woernle, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner, by vmesmeassignments, to The American Hardnware Corporation, New Britain, Conn.

Application December 6, 1929. Serial No. 412,083

23 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to lock and latch structures, and moreparticularly to a latch structure having means for dead-locking thelatch. It relates further to latch structures adapted primarily for usein doors which are desired to be more readily locked and unlocked fromone side than from the other side.

For certain interior doors such, for example, as bathroom doors, it isdesirable to provide latch mechanism which may be easily locked from oneside of the door to prevent accidental intrusion, yet which may bereadily unlocked from the other side in cases of emergency. It isundesirable to provide a latch mechanism which. cannot under anycircumstances be unlocked from without, as it is sometimes necessary togain access to a room the door of which has been locked by a personwithin the room. Furthermore, in certain cases it is undesirable to havea readily operable unlocking means on the outside of the door, as suchmeans might unintentionally be operated whereby to subject ,an occupantof a room to undesired intrusion.

It is also desirable in the provision of latch structures adaptedprimarily to be locked and unlocked from one side only of a door, toprovide means for applying the locking mechanism regardless of whichedge of the door is hinged.

To the above ends I provide a latch structure comprising reciprocablelatch mechanism and reciprocable locking mechanism disposed generallytransversely oi the latch mechanism, the latch mechanism and lockingmechanism having cooperating portions adapted to interengage when thelocking mechanism is in one position to lock the latch mechanism and toclear each other when the locking mechanism is in another position tounlock the latch mechanism.

I further provide a latch structure comprising a housing adapted forconnection with a door, reciprocable latch mechanism mounted therein,the housing having oppositely disposed means for receiving lockingmechanism adapted for movement generally transversely of the latchmechanism for locking and unlocking the same,-

and locking mechanism primarily operable from one side only of the dooradapted selectively for cooperation with either of such means wherebythe structure is adapted equally for application to doorslhung fromeither lateral edge.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description of certain present preferred embodimentsthereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown (Cl. 'l0-29) certain presentpreferred embodiments of the invention, wherein Figure 1 is'a sideelevational View of a portion of a door having a latch structure appliedthereto, the knob being removed;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the latch mechanism shown in Figure1, taken in the plane of the door;

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of a portion of the locking mechanismshown in Figures 1, 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a partial detail view, partly in cross-section, of amodified construction; and

' Figure 6 is a detail plan view of a portion of the locking mechanismshown in Figure 5.

Referringy more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2designates a door having a transverse bore 3 and a bore 4 connecting thetransverse bore with an edge of the door for the reception of latchmechanism. The latch mechanism comprises a generally cylindrical housing5 having connected therewith end closure members 6 and '7. The members 6and 7 have outwardly extending projections 8 adapted to entercorresponding slots provided in the housing 5 for maintaining theclosure members in fixed relation thereto. Each of the closure members 6and '7 has connected therewith and extending outwardly generally axiallyof the housing 5 a hollow externally threaded cylindrical boss 9. Theclosure members 6 and 7 and the housing 5 are maintained in assembledrelationship by means of screws 10. The housing 5 is provided with alaterally disposed orifice 11 for a purpose to be presently described.

Connected with the interior of the housing opposite the orifice 11 andsubstantially coaxial therewith is a guide pin 12. Slidably mounted onthe guide pin 12 and having a portion ex. tending through the orifice 11is bolt mechanism 13. Forming a part of the bolt mechanism 13 anddisposed Within the housing 5 is a cross head 14. Threaded into theportion of, the member 13 extending outwardly through the orifice 11 ofthe housing 5 is a bolt member 15. Surrounding the pin 12 and disposedbetween the housing 5 and the cross head 14 is a spring 16 forresiliently urging the bolt mechanism outwardly of the housing. The'boltmechanism is guided by the pin 12 and the orifice 11.

Journalled in each of the hollow bosses A9, y

which serves as a bearing therefor, is a bolt retractor 17 having onitsinner face a cross head engaging cam 18. Connected to each retractor 17and extending outwardly therefrom is a spindle 19. To each spindle isconnected a knob 20. Rotation of either knob causes rotation of itsspindle and of A'the retractor 17 connected therewith, which in turn,through its cam 18, causes movement ofl the cross head toward the right,viewing Figure 3, and consequent retraction of the bolt 15 within thebore 4. A plate 21 is provided in the edge of the door for guiding thebolt.

Disposed at substantially diametrically opposite portions of the housing5 are similar guides 22 for carrying locking means for dead-locking thebolt. Each of the guides 22 comprises a bent strip of metal havinginwardly turned extremities and adapted for supporting and guiding alocking member 23 (see Figure 4). The locking member 23 comprises a bodywhich is substantially flat and rectangular but out of which is stampeda downwardly depending projection 24. Threaded to one end of the lockingmember 23 is a button or handle 25 adapted for manual operation so as tomove the locking member generally transversely of the housing 5. Thecross head 14 is provided at its top and bottom with similar slots 26,each of which is adapted in one position of a locking member 23 disposedin the guide 22 adjacent thereto to receive the projection 24 thereof.In this position the locking member 23 has no effect on the operation ofthe latch mechanism, which is free tomove back and forth to project andretract the bolt. However, upon transverse movement of the lockingmember 23 the projection 24 is moved out of the line of the slot 26 andengages the face of the cross head 14 opposite the cam 18, whereby thecross head is positively held between the projection 24 and the cam 18and the bolt thus dead-locked, as shown in Figure 3. Connected with theupper surface of the locking member 23 is a spring 27 having an upwardlyextending detent 28 adapted selectively to enter a pair of lslots 29 inthe guide 22, whereby to positively resiliently maintain the lockingmember 23 either in the position to lock the latch mechanism or in theposition wherein the latch mechanism is unlocked. Connected with theextremity of the locking member 23 opposite the button 25 is a smalleroperating member 30 for a purpose to be presently described.

Disposed on opposite `sides of the door and overlapping the edges of thebore 3 are fastening plates 31 through which and through the housing 5pass screws (not shown) for adjustably holding the housing within thebore. This construction is specifically described and claimed in myPatent'l No. 1,854,917, April 19, 1932. Extending over the latchassembly at each side of the door is a face plate 32 which is maintainedin place by a nut 33 threaded onto the boss 9.

The button 25 is screw threaded into the locking member 23 to providefor adjustment thereof when the latch mechanism is applied to a door.The button is non-circular in crosssection and the corresponding faceplate 32 is provided with a non-circular opening of corresponding shapethrough which the button passes so as to permit back and forth movementof the button and locking member while preventing the button from beingrotated and consequently unscrewed with respect to the locking member.The opposite face plate 32 is provided with a smaller opening throughwhich passes the operating member 30, such member and opening beingnon-circular and of corresponding shape, as above described withreference to the button 25 and its opening in the face plate. When thebolt is locked, the locking member 23 is in its right hand position,Lviewing Figure 2, so that almost the whole of the operating member 30is drawn within the left hand face plate 32. 'Ihe member 30 is providednear its outer extremity with a groove 34 which, when the member 23 isin locked position, extends barely outside the face plate 32. It ispossible by the use of the finger nails or of a suitable instrument tograsp the member 30 through the agency of the groove 34 and pull thesame outwardly, or to the left, viewing Figure 2, whereby to move thelocking mechanism toward the left and thereby unlock the bolt.

Therefore operation of the locking mechanism is provided for primarilyfrom the inside only of the door, vbut the member 30 is provided at theoutside of the door, which member is relatively small and inconspicuousand relatively difilcult to operate, but by which the door may in casesof necessity be unlocked from without. The locking member or slide iseasily moved transversely of the latch mechanism, only slight movementof the same being necessary to bring the projection 24 into or out ofalignment with the slot 26. It is practically impossible for a person onthe outside of the door to unintentionally or unthinkingly unlock thebolt, whereby to accidentally intrude on a person Within.

It is of course always desirable to have the locking mechanism above theknob of the door rather than below the knob. If provision were made forinserting the locking mechanism only on one side of the casing 5, thelatch mechanism would be useful only for doors swung in one direction,because if attempted to be applied to doors swung in the oppositedirection the locking mechanism would be underneath the knob and hencerelatively inaccessible. In order to obviate this disadvantage,provision is made so that the locking means may be inserted on eitherside of the casing 5 as desired, thus making the latch mechanism equallyapplicable to doors hung from-either lateral edge. If the latchmechanism is to be applied to a door swung oppositely from that shown inthe drawing, the casing will be inverted and the'guide 22 formerly atthe bottom of the casing will thereupon be at the top and will be usedinstead of the guide shown in the drawing as being used. To this end thecrosshead 14 has a slot 26 at each extremity and the respective guides22 are provided with correspondingly positional slots 29 for cooperationwith the detent 28 of the spring 27 Each of the closure members 6 and '7has appropriate openings at oppositely disposed points for reception ofthe locking mechanism. A cover plate 35 mounted on one of the screws l0is utilized after the locking mechanism has been inserted into the guide22 for closing the opening in the casing and also as a stop for limitingmovement of the locking member. When the locking member 23 is in lockingposition. or toward the right, viewing Figure 2, its surface 36 (seeFigure 4) strikes against the inside of the cover plate 35, therebypreventing too great outward movement of' the locking member. When thelocking member is in the left hand position, v iewing Figure 2, whereinthe bolt is unlocked, the surface 37 of the locking member (see Figure4) stops against the inside of the closure member 6, thus limitingmovement of the locking member toward the left. Although only one of thecover plates 35 is actually utilized, it is customary in assembling themechanism to include two of the plates, one mounted on each screw 10, sothat one will be readily available regardless of the position in whichthe latch mechanism is inserted in the door.

in Figures 5 and 6 is shown a modified embodiment of the inventionwherein the operating member 30 of the locking member 23 is replaced bya flat extension 38 having a hole 39 therein. The length of theextension 38 is considerably less than the length of the member 39 oithe embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, so that the extension 38does not pass outwardly through the left hand face plate 32 (see Figure5) but is always within such face plate. For emergency operation of thelocking member in this type of construction, the face plate is providedwith a slot 40 through which a hooklike lrey til is adapted to beinserted to engage within the hole 39 oi the extension 38, therebyenabling operation of the locking member. The key 4l may be kept in apredetermined place near the outside of the door so that in case ofemergency it can be quickly obtained to unlock the door to gain entrance'to the room.

While li have shown and described certain present preferred embodimentsof the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is notlimited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied within thescope of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1. A latch structure comprising a housing, a latch bolt slidably mountedin said housing and having a crosshead plate, extending substantiallyunitarily in a plane transverse to the axis of the latch bolt, rotatablemeans adapted to engage said crosshead plate to retact said latch bolt,and a locking member mounted in said housing for slidable movementsubstantially in a plane extending generally parallel to the axis ofsaid latch bolt and movable transversely of said crosshead plate intoposition to engage such plate to dead-lock the same and said actuatingmeans.

2. A latch structure comprisig a housing, a latch bolt slidably mountedin said housing and having a crosshead, means for actuating saidcrosshead to retract said latch bolt, and a locking member mounted insaid housing for slidable movement substantially in a plane extendinggenerally parallel to the axis of said latch bolt and in position abovesaid crosshead and movable transversely thereof into position todead-lock said crosshead and said actuating means.

3. A latch structure comprising a housi'ig, a latch bolt slidablymounted in said housing and having a crosshead, means for actuating saidcrosshead to retract said latch bolt, a locking plate slidably mountedin said housing in position above said crosshead and movabletransversely thereof, a, slot in the upper edge of the crosshead, and astop member downwardly depending from said locking plate and normallypositioned in registry with the said slot in the crosshead to permitretraction of the latch bolt.

4. A latch structure comprising a housing, a latch bolt slidablyymounted in said housing, and

having a crosshead, means for actuating said crosshead to retract saidlatch bolt, a locking member having a projecting stop slidably mountedin said housing in position above said crosshead and movabletransversely thereof to move said stop into position to dead-lock saidcrosshead and said actuating means, and manuallyactuated means carriedby said member and operable from either side of a door for sliding saidlocking member into or out of engagement with said crosshead.

5. A latch structure comprising a housing, a latch bolt slidably mountedin said housing and having a crosshead, means for actuating saidcrosshead to retract said latch bolt, a locking member having aprojecting stop slidably mounted in said housing in position above saidcrosshead and movable transversely thereof to move said stop intoposition to deadlock said crosshead and said actuating means, manuallyoperable means carried by said member and operable from the inner sideoi a door for moving said member into engagement with said crosshead,and generally rectilinearly movable means operable from the outer sideof the door for releasing said crosshead.

6. A latch structure comprising a housing having a latch bolt slidablymounted therein, a locking member slidably mounted in said housing andmovable into and out of locking engagement with said latch bolt, a faceplate connected with one end of the housing and having an openingtherein, and an operating button rotatably connected with said memberand projecting outwardly through the opening in said face plate, saidbutton and said opening being noncircular in cross-section to preventrotation of the button.

'7. A latch structure comprising a housing having a latch bolt slidablymounted therein, a locking member slidably mounted in said housing andmovable into and out of locking engagement with said latch bolt,manually operable means carried by said member and operable from oneside of a door for moving said member, an extension on said memberprojecting toward the other side of the door, and a face plate connectedwith said housing and having a keyway therein adjacent said extension,said locking member being adapted to be operated by a key member havinga portion insertable in said keyway to engage said extension to movesaid locking member out of engagement with the latch bolt.

8. A latch structure comprising reciprocable latch mechanism adapted forconnection with a door and locking mechanism movable generallytransversely of the latch mechanism, the locking mechanism having at oneside of the door a button adapted for easy manual operation to lock andunlock the latch mechanism and hav- `ing at the other side of the door arelatively diiilcultly operable locking and unlocking mechanism adaptedfor hand operation without the use of a key whereby to preventunintentional locking and unlocking of the latch mechanism from thelatter side of the door.

9. A latch structure comprising a housing adapted for connection with adoor, reciprocable latch mechanism mounted therein, the housing havingoppositely disposed means for receiving locking mechanism adapted formovement generally transversely of the latch mechanism for locking andunlocking the same, and locking mechanism more easily operable from oneside of the door than from the other adapted selectively for cooperationwith either of such means whereby the structure is adapted equally forapplication to doors hung from either lateral edge.

10. A latch structure comprising a housing adapted for cooperation witha door, reciprocable latch mechanism mounted therein, the housing havingsimilar openings disposed substantially oppositely with respect to thecenter of the housing and adapted to extend in a direction transverselyof the door for receiving lockingmechanism, locking mechanism adaptedselectively to enter either of such openings, and means for partiallyclosing the opening containing the locking mechanism for limiting themovement of the same therein.

- 11. A latch structure comprising reciprocable latch mechanism adaptedto protrude from an edge of a door and locking mechanism adapted toextend generally transversely of the door for cooperation with the latchmechanism and more easily operable from one side of the door than fromthe other, a portion of the latch mechanism being generally symmetricalsubstantially about a plane passing through the axis thereof and havingmeans on opposite sides of such plane for receiving the lockingmechanism, whereby the structure is adapted equally for application todoors hung from either lateral edge.

12. A latch structure comprising a housing, reciprocable latch mechanismmounted therein, an opening in the housing for reception of a lockingmember, a locking member therein and cooperating with the latchmechanism, and a detachable closure member for closing a portion of theopening not occupied by the locking member to limit the movement of thelocking member.

13. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, locking means for the bolt mechanism extending transverselyinto the casing, and a guide for the locking means connected with andlying along and generally parallel to an interior wall of the casing.

14. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, locking means for the bolt mechanism extending transverselyinto the casing and slidable into and out of locking relationship withrespect to the bolt mechanism, and a pair of selectively operablegenerally oppositely disposed guides for the locking means connectedwith the casing.

15. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, locking means slidable transversely of the casing and havinga-portion for engagement with the bolt mechanism for locking the same,and a guideway for the locking means along and generally parallel to an`interior wall of the casing.

16. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, locking means slidable transversely of the casing and having aportion for engagement with the bolt mechanism for locking the same, andmeans forming a guiding and retaining way for the locking means alongand generally parallel to an interior wall of the casing.

17. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, means effective for locking the bolt mechanism and operablefrom outside the casing, and oppositely disposed means extendinggenerally inwardly of the casing and toward each other forming aguideway for the locking means generally parallel to the casing wall andlying therealong.

18. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, means for operating the bolt mechanism, locking meansextendable into the casing, and a generally U-shaped guide memberconnected with and lying generally parallel to an interior Wall of thecasing for guiding the locking means.

19. Latch structure, comprising a bolt, a plate connected with the` boltand extending generally transversely thereof, retracting means adaptedto engage the plate on one side to retract the bolt, and rectilinearlyslidable means extending to a point directly accessible from withoutthecasing adapted to engage the plate on the other side of la singlethickness of material to prevent it from moving to retract the bolt.

2,0. Latch structure for a horizontally movable door, comprising a bolt,a plate connected with the bolt andV extending generally transverselythereof, rotatable means adapted to engage the plate to retract thebolt, the plate having a slot, and generally horizontally slidable meanshaving a portion movable into and out of registry with such slot forunlocking and locking the plate, such last mentioned means being adaptedto engage the plate on the opposite side of a single thickness ofmaterial from the retracting means to lock the plate.

21. Latch structure, comprising a housing, bolt mechanism reciprocablymounted therein, a crosshead connected with the bolt mechanism andeilective in retraction thereof, the crosshead having a slot, and meansmounted in the housing above the crosshead and having a portion movableinto and out of registry with such slot for locking and unlocking thecrosshead.

22. Latch structure, comprising a casing, bolt mechanism reciprocabletherein, locking means for the bolt mechanism, selectively usable guidesfor the locking means disposed at substantially opposite parts of thecasing,- and a removable closure member for the casing having an openingthrough which the locking means is adapted to extend and beingreversible so as to bring said opening into cooperative relationshipwith either one or the other of said guides.

23. Latch structure, comprising a generally cylindrical casing, boltmechanism extending through the curved wall thereof, locking means forthe bolt mechanism, guides for the locking means disposed atsubstantially opposite parts of the casing, and a removable closuremember for an end ofl the casing having an opening at substantially thesame distance from the axis of the casing as said guides and throughwhich the locking means is adapted to extend.

HARRY E. WOERNLE.

